Monday, March 25, 2013

Ahhhh the beauty of a shake! There is nothing better than a cold frosty shake in my book. Especially one that is delicious and healthy! YUM. They are wonderful as you can load up your blender with lots of healthy ingredients and create a delicious and portable drink. Kiddos love them. Adults love them. Shakes are simply the greatest!

This little beauty of a shake I recently discovered on a treasure of a blog called, Our Table for 7. I was assigned Erin's blog for March's Secret Recipe Club. I couldn't have been more delighted for such an opportunity! ALL of Erin's recipes that she shares on her blog are full of amazing yumminess. ALL. Of. Them!! I have pinned a number of her recipes to try ASAP. Not to worry, I will post them here on my blog to share with all of you. I look forward to trying her Crockpot Potato Soup as I have tons of potatoes left over from St. Paddy's Day. I also want to make her Brownie Batter Pancakes - my girls will go gaga over them!! And then of course her Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Bars are right up my alley.

I have spent a lot of time reading through Our Table for 7 and I can tell that she puts just as much care and attention to her blog as she does with all of her lovely kiddos. She has a deep devotion and dedication to feeding her family and friends delicious food. I can't thank her enough for all the time and energy that she puts into it. :-)

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I treasure having the opportunity of expressing and sharing some of my passions in life with others. Especially when it comes to baking and my life in the kitchen. Baking is in a sense "food for my soul." It makes me happy. It makes me sane. It makes me whole. It makes ME who I am.

As much as I love the opportunity to bake I also LOVE to share what I bake. It helps my mid-line some what under control and it provides me the delightful experience of giving to others. Today I want to share with all of you a fabulous recipe that I recently discovered from one of my all time favorite food blogs, Buns In My Oven. I have made many, many recipes from Karly's blog. She never disappoints with all of her scrumptious creations. This recipe that I honor today almost put me over the edge with baking happiness as it contains many of my most favorite ingredients. PURE maple syrup for one and then of course the addition of browned butter is completely brilliant! Maple syrup and browned butter in one recipe allows for magical and rich yumminess. The last step in this recipe calls for the addition of COLD butter pieces that have been carefully coated with ground cinnamon into the bread batter allowing for little bursts of precious cinnamon all throughout the bread. Perrrrrfection! Complete perfection. And then of course having buckets of sugary smooth glaze drizzled all over the top of the bread (with plenty of left over for your spreading pleasure on individual slices) completely tops off (literally and deliciously) the amazing bread.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in browned butter.

4. Combine wet ingredients with dry. Mix just until combined.

5. In a small bowl combine COLD butter pieces and 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon. Gently fold in coated butter pieces into the batter.

6. Pour batter into prepared bread loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

7. Make glaze while bread is baking by whisking together all glaze ingredients in a medium bowl. If necessary add in a little bit more sugar or cream to reach desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over completely cooled bread. You will have extra glaze after pouring it over the top of the bread. Eat it by the spoonful or spread it onto bread slices....it should NOT go to waste!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Have you noticed a change around these parts? That's right there is some serious new cuteness on my blog! I am just giddy with excitement over my look here at Baking and Creating with Avril!!! The fabulous Ashton from Something Swanky is the master mind behind my new look. I can't thank her enough for all her help and talent that she has provided me. I highly, highly recommend her services. And to boot she is an AMAAAAZING baker too! Please do go check out her yummies and then you must check out her artistic creations too!

Speaking of changes, today instead of a recipe that is sweet and requires baking I've got a savory recipe for you. That's right nothing baked. No sugar or flour involved. Not even a tiny bit of vanilla extract. Just a simple, delicious and savory dish that will knock your socks off.

All this dish requires is a large skillet with a lid that can contain all the ingredients. And then of course some rice (white or brown is just fine), a couple of cooked ham steaks and a couple small heads of broccoli. All of the other ingredients can most likely be found in your pantry and fridge such as chicken broth and some grated cheese.

Now Easter is just around the corner - the end of this month in fact - and most likely there will be LOTS of good deals out there for ham. Make sure you grab some or save some from your left-overs and make this recipe. It's super easy and SUPER yummy!!

1. Place large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil into pan and then pour in rice. Stir to coat. Cook rice until toasted and light brown, stirring often so that the rice doesn't burn.

2. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat to low and cover. Cook covered for 10 minutes. Add in cut up broccoli and cook covered for an additional 5-10 minutes or until liquid has been cooked down.

3. Take skillet off of heat and add in butter, ham, cheese and garlic powder. Stir well to combine and then cover for 5 minutes more. Add in S and P to taste just before serving.

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Welcome to my blog! I have created this blog to share my love for being in the kitchen. You will find many a recipe for baked treats and goodies along with family friendly savory dishes. Nothing too fancy but always made with love and happiness!